Oil Leak Taints Water At Bruton

Water Is Still Safe To Drink, Experts Say

October 17, 1990|By CHARLES CLARY Staff Writer

WILLIAMSBURG — Groundwater contamination from a 10,000-gallon heating oil tank has been discovered at the Bruton Heights School property, officials for the city, county and Colonial Williamsburg said Tuesday.

State Water Control Board officials say there is no apparent danger in drinking the water.

The leak was identified by an independent consultant who surveyed property that CW will acquire in a land swap with Williamsburg and James City County. Sanford Wanner, the assistant county administrator, notified the Tidewater Regional Office of the water control board about the leak, said Herbert Berger, a groundwater storage tank geologist for the board.

The Waller Mill Reservoir, which is the city's source of drinking water, is about 1.5 miles away from the site, local officials said in a press release. "I tend to believe the reservoir wouldn't be in any grave jeopardy from this release," Berger said. "If there was a serious threat we would be pursuing this more aggressively."

As it turns out, the city, county and CW have 45 days to provide the board with an assessment of the extent of the leakage, the risk involved and a strategy for cleaning it up, Berger said.

County Administrator David Norman said the cost of future investigation of the site will be shared equally by CW, the city and county.

According to the joint press release, officials do not know how much oil has leaked from the tank.

The contamination was discovered during an environmental survey conducted by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. in anticipation of the acquisition. Although no target date had been set for the actual changing of title, the discovery is expected to delay but not halt the transfer, said Albert O. Louer, CW's director of media relations.